Tag Archives: Roster Moves

Browns, Draft

Browns Get Defensive in Round Three

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The Cleveland Browns selected Charlotte defensive tackle Larry Ogunjobi with the first pick in the third round, 65th overall, in the 2017 NFL Draft.

The senior interior lineman is 6’3″ and 305 pounds and very athletic for a man his size. He had 13.0 career sacks in his career and showed that he can not only get to the passer but also set the edge in the run game. He plays with a low center of gravity and has great hands. He will be thrown into the mix on a deep defensive line squad and could start between Danny Shelton and Myles Garrett.

The son of Nigerian immigrants, Ogunjobi did not start playing football until his sophomore year of high school.

Cleveland does not have anymore picks on day two of the draft, they will not pick again until the 5th round (145 overall).

Browns, Draft

Browns Get QB at 52

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With the 52nd pick in the 2017 NFL Draft, the Cleveland Browns selected Notre Dame QB DeShone Kizer.

Kizer a 6’4″, 233 pound, redshirt sophomore from Toledo, Ohio, was looked at by some as the number one quarterback in the draft at the beginning of the scouting process. He looks the part of a QB with size, strength, and above average arm talent, but he does not come without issues.

His issues are the reason many dropped him to their fourth ranked QB in this draft and that he slid out of the first round to 52nd overall in the second round. He has severe mental lapses. He holds the ball too long at times and takes unnecessary sacks in a clean pocket. He lets his mechanics go to the wayside and throws the ball all over the field and that is why he had an interception in 15 of 23 starts.

Overall, it is really a low risk, high reward draft pick and could pan out nicely. To this point the Browns have done an excellent job in acquiring talent, gaining four very good players and first round pick next year.

The Browns will pick next at 65 overall, the first pick of the third round.

Browns, NFL

Browns Cut Barnidge

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After the Browns moved back into the first round last night to select tight end David Njoku, Gary Barnidge, being the excellent human being and teammate that he is, tweeted out a welcome to the rookie.

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Less than 18 hours later, Barnidge sent out another tweet that shows the awful truth of the NFL as he said goodbye to the team that gave him his chance to showcase his talents.

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Barnidge, a pro bowl player in 2015, was not as good in 2016 with less than 630 yards recieving. In fairness, nobody was good on the Browns in 2016.

The move isn’t that surprising after the addition of Seth DeValve in the 2016 draft and Njoku in 2017. The Browns as a team are getting younger with only four players above the age of 28 and Barnidge was being pushed out by the rookies, so rather than leave him on the roster as a mentor who wouldn’t see the field much, the team has let him go so that he has time to join someone else and for his sake, hopefully win.

Barnidge was a good player during his time in Cleveland, but was an amazing man in the community off of the field. His twitter page was always full of fan interaction, including chances for movie nights with his teammates and a group of lucky fans.

OAB365 and this writer wish Barnidge the best in the future.

Browns, NFL

Browns Release RGIII

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In a move that should come as no surprise, the Cleveland Browns have released quarterback Robert Griffin III. 

The former number two overall pick in the 2012 draft by the Washington Redskins, came to Cleveland looking to revive his career. Unfortunately, for Griffin and the Browns, 2016 was not a good year for either. 

The move comes a day after the team acquired quarterback Brock Osweiler from the Houston Texans. 

While the move to bring in Osweiler has no part in the release of Griffin, the team will save more than $8 million by releasing the former Heisman Trophy winner. 

After being injured in the season opener, Griffin returned to the lineup in December but still looked out of place. He finished his Browns career with a 72.5 rating as a starter. Only Osweiler and Ryan Fitzpatrick of the New York Jets had a worse rating. 

Browns, Draft, NFL, Uncategorized

Stunner: Browns Acquire Osweiler

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In a move that stunned the NFL the Cleveland Browns have acquired quarterback Brock Osweiler from the Houston Texans via trade on Thursday.

In the deal, the Browns sent a 2017 fourth-round pick to the Texans who in return for Osweiler, a 2017 sixth-round pick and a 2018 second-round pick.While the move surprised many it is actually one of the rare deals that works out great for both parties involved.

The Texans get out from under the $16 million in cash owed to Osweiler and the $10 million cap hit he would have had after they signed him to a four-year $72 million contract in 2016. The money can now give the team the flexibility to sign Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo whom the team feels can lead them deeper into the playoffs than their defense has over the past two seasons.

The Browns give up a late fourth-round pick, most likely a compensatory pick, and now have added a third second-round pick in the 2018 draft and have already fielded calls for Osweiler who they are not looking to keep. If they fail to trade Osweiler, the team will likely release him. His $16 million would count as dead money on the cap in 2017, but if the team also releases quarterback Robert Griffin they would save nearly $7 million and in turn only be forced to take the hit for $9 million of Osweilers contract after subtracting RGIII.

While most think that it would be impossible to find a taker for Osweiler,the Browns are willing to pay half of his 2017 salary. At $8 million for 2017 it’s not a terrible option, especially after seeing Mike Glennon get $15 million per season from the Chicago Bears. Osweiler is guaranteed $16 million this season but nothing in 2018 or 19, so any team trading for him could pay $8 million for one season and then move on if they do not want to pay the $18 million he is due in 2018 or $13 million base and $4 million roster bonus in 2019.

The original trade was shocking, but after seeing the details it looks like a very smart trade for the Browns front office, essentially buying a 2018 second-round pick for possibly $9 million and whatever else they can get from the deal. It is an NBA like trade for an MLB like front office in the NFL.

Browns, NFL

Browns Sign Bitonio to Massive Extension

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While the Browns spent the first day of the new league year signing other teams free agents, they also made sure that one of their own players won’t reach free agency in 2018.

The team reached an agreement on a five-year, $51.2 million deal that will guarantee the 2014 second-round pick $23.7 million and keep him in orange and brown until 2022.

While Bitonio has missed 17 of the last 32 games the team has played, when healthy he teams with perennial All-Pro left tackle Joe Thomas to give the Browns one of the top left sides of the offensive line in the NFL.

While some may see it as a risk due to his injury history, Browns Executive Vice President of Football Sashi Brown sees the move as a building block for the future.

“It’s important for us to identify the young talented players on our roster, who fit our culture, and make sure they remain with the Cleveland Browns.” said Brown. “Joel has proven that he is a smart , tough, physical football player and we view him as one of the best young linemen in the league.”

Regardless of what critics say, the move does show that the team is looking to keep home-grown talent, which is something many of criticized them for failing to do in the past. It also gives the Browns one shining piece out of the awful 2014 draft.

Browns, NFL

Browns, Britt Agree to Deal

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According to various reports the Cleveland Browns and former Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Kenny Britt have agreed to terms on a free agent contract. 

The deal is said to be a four-year pact worth $32.5 million. 

The six-foot-three Britt is coming off a season where he caught 68 balls for 1002 yards and five scores. 

At 28 years-old, Britt has been in the NFL for eight seasons, five with the Titans and three with the Rams. 

The addition of Britt could be the end of Terelle Pryor’s time in Cleveland, as the deal Britt agreed to is similar to the one the team was offering Pryor, as I reported Tuesday. 

Browns, NFL

Browns Will Allow Market to Set Price for Pryor

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With NFL free agency set to begin on Thursday at 4 p.m. the Cleveland Browns still have one of their best offensive weapons about to set the market in wide receiver Terrelle Pryor. 

According to someone with knowledge of the negotiations between Pryor and the team, the Browns have offered Pryor no more than $8 million per season on any offer, while Pryor and his representatives are seeking more than $10 million per season. 

The Browns, rather than bid against themselves, are looking to allow the market to set Pryor’s value. It’s a dangerous move for a 1-15 football team who has struggled to keep talent in the past, but it also is something many teams such as the Patriots tend to do. While it works out for the best in New England, if Pryor walks it could be another black eye for the fledgling orange and Brown and another kick in the teeth to the teams overly loyal fan base. 

There are at least five teams very interested in Pryor, led by the Philadelphia Eagles, who would welcome the 6’4″ former quarterback with welcome arms. 

Will it work out for Cleveland? Only time will tell. 

Browns, NFL

Browns Agree to Deal with Colquitt

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The Cleveland Browns and punter Britton Colquitt have agreed to terms on a four-year deal. 

Colquitt, an undrafted free agent from Tennessee in 2009, averaged 45.3 yards per punt for the Browns after being cut by the Denver Broncos. 
With Colquitt now in the fold and Isaiah Crowell tendered earlier on Tuesday, only Austin Pasztor and Terrelle Pryor remain unsigned. 

Browns, NFL

Browns Give 2nd Round Tender to Crowell

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The Cleveland Browns have offered running back Isaiah Crowell a second-round tender worth $2.81 million according to multiple sources. 

Crowell, who was undrafted, is a restricted free agent. By receiving a second-round tender the Browns can now match any offer he receives or get a second round draft pick from that team if they choose not to match the offer. 

Crowell had his best season in 2016 despite not getting more than 10 carries in six games. He finished with 952 yards while carrying the bulk of the load for the 1-15 Browns. 

Browns

Browns Release Hawkins

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The Cleveland Browns released wide receiver and fan favorite Andrew Hawkins on Monday. The move comes after the veteran reciever asked the team for his release so that he could move on and possibly get a championship before his career ends.

At 30-years-old, Hawkins served as a mentor for the young players on the Browns roster and was an all around great guy on and off of the field. Over three seasons Hawkins started 28 games and brought in 123 catches for 1424 yards and five touchdowns.

In typical Hawkins fashion, he left an extremely classy message to the fans and the organization on UNINTERRUPTED‘s twitter feed, “As of today, I am officially a former Cleveland Brown. Flew to Cleveland last week, met with the team. It was a tough call, but at the end of the day, just felt it was in the best interest of all that we move on.”

Browns head coach Hue Jackson also weighed in on the termination of Hawkins’ contract in a statement released by the team;

It’s tough to say goodbye to men like Hawk, that have done everything you’ve asked of them and gone above and beyond when it comes to leadership. Hawk was a rock for us last season.He kept our locker room together and led by example as he gave everything he had on the field.Our young players are going to be better players and better people because of the time they spent with Andrew Hawkins.

The loss of Hawkins leaves the Browns extremely young at the wide receiver position with second-year guys Corey Coleman, Rashard Higgins, Jordan Payton, and Ricardo Louis as the only pass catchers currently signed to the roster as the team attempts to bring back Terrelle Pryor this offseason.